Health Minister Simon Harris has issued a threat to doctors who refuse to refer patients for abortions [1] under the proposed legislative regime. On Monday, GPs with the Medical Alliance for Life had asked the Minister that they might not be prosecuted [2] for refusing to do referrals. However, speaking on Claire Byrne Live Monday night, Harris said he didn’t expect any substantial changes between the already-published outline of the bill and the final legislation.
“I think these have been the most discussed heads of bill of perhaps any legislation ever. I took a conscious decision, along with the rest of the government, to publish the heads of bill before the referendum because people rightly wanted to know, if I voted Yes, what will the law look like?”
People cast their ballots in the full knowledge that this would be the legislation, he said.
Doctors who refused to administer abortions to their patients would be allowed to conscientiously object, Harris said, but added that those GPs would have to refer patients to a doctor who would. “The law of the land will be very clear on that,” Harris said. “Medical Council guidelines already deal with issues of conscientious objection and I expect the Medical Council will deal with that.”